The National tribune., 1887-01-13
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
CONVERTING STRAW INTO MANURE.


the straw-stack, and convert the balance into
manure as rapidly as possible. The straw
trampled under foot by the cattle will not
thoroughly rot within year if left to itself.
To rot and fine il, 1t must be stirred about, and
the swine can be made to do this work. If the
hogs are fed on the straw once a week they will
move the entire mass, unless quite deep, root
ing after stray grains. II their noses do not
get to the bottom of the heap, sharpen heavy
stake and prod IL through the straw then
withdraw il and drop shelled corn or oats into
the hole. In this way hole can be made every
few feet over the pile and the hogs will turn the
manure thoroughly. hogs snout is very
cheap and effective manure hook. The hogs
must not be allowed to lie on the rotting straw,
as this is almost sure to produce disease among
them. They become too warm, and then when
they come into the open air they contract colds,
catarrhal or pulmonary diseases. II the hogs
are used as above recommended, straw can be
converted into well-rotted aud fine manure
within six months; and il the straw-stack is
put on level ground, not much will be lost dur
ing this rapid conversion. When from II to Is
months are required for the rotting of the ma
nure land this time will be required when deep
side hill, not a little of the value of the ma
nure is lost by being washed down hill.
EXERCISE CONDUCIVE TO HEALTH.
The american Agricsdturist says: EARN ami
mails must not be kept cooped up; they need
exercise and the weather must be severe indeed
that will justify keeping the animals in their
shelters all the day. Exercise is essential to
keen appetite and vigorous digestion. IL the
animal has no exercise it eats less and digests
less of what il eats; thus food is lost by indi
gestion, and full feeding which is the most
profitable. is impossible. Animals closely con-
fined become diseased, though the disease may
not assume virulent type. Pregnant animals
need exercise as much as any. The greater
part of the trouble at lambing time is occa-
stoned by not allowing the ewes proper exer-
else during the Winter. Experienced shep-
herds will understand this and always provide
an exercise.ground for the ewes A piece of
old rowsn is excellent; and if the ewes are not
disposed to exercise, scatter shelled corn over
il to tempt them. The effects Of close confne-
ment just noted are but natural when we con-
slider that lack of exercise weakens and reduces
the body, and that this weakness of the preg-
nant animal is communicated to its offspring.
Ewes disown lambs mostly because they are
not vigorous and thrifty; and ewes confined
during the Winter cannot be vigorous and
thrifty. The effect upon cows, sows and mares
eau NC lcSSy buOuku, ~ IA hOb
so marked. But il is well known that if the
pregnant mare is given no exercise her fold is
sure TO be weak aud may be malformed. The
best Winter exercise-ground for farm animals
of any kind is piece of thick woodland which
will protect them somewhat from the wind"
INJURY To THE EYE OF THE HORSE
Many valuable horse has been injured in
eyesight through carelessness or neglect, or
both. Dark stables, aud especially damp base
ment stables, cause blindness, either tempo
rary or confirmed, and such stables should at
once be rcmodeled, admitting light and fresh,
pure air. Horses confined in dark and damp
| stables are more apt to be affected during Win
ter when snow is on the ground, and at which
time the stable is kept closed to keep out the
cold, than during warm weather. If horse
is brought out of the dark stable Immediately
into the glare of sunshine on the snow covered
ground, he will experience severe pain until
his eyes become accustomed to the strong light.
By persisting in this injurious practice, you
will soon seriously impair the horses eyesight,
and eventually it will become chronic. A very
effective way to understand how painful such
treatment is to the horse is for his owner to
stay in a very dark room for an hour or so and
then 20 suddenly out of doors when the sun Is
shining brightly on the snow. One experiment
! OF that kind will be convincing enough. luat-
tention to the blinds or blinkers on the bride
has frequently caused serious injury to the eye
| OF the horse. While some advocate the use OF
open brides, without blinds, properly made
and adjusted ones with blinkers not merely
serve good purpose, but they will not injure
a horse when sensibly used Misuse is what
causes trouble with these brides, and misuse
| only.
FIGHTING APPLE-woRMa
Prof. 8. A. Forbes delivered an address CIV
Ing results of elaborate series Of experiments
upon the effect of spraying apple trees with
Paris green for the codling-m moth, which was
illustrated by a series of colored diagrams show
| ing graphically the results obtained. The con-
| clusion, as given by Prof. Forbes, was this:
| That At least 20 per cent. of the loss commonly
suffered by fruit growers from the ravages of
the codling-moth can be prevented by thor
oughly applying Paris green in a spray with
water, once or twice in early Spring, as soon as
the fruit is fairly set, and not later than the
time when the young apple turns downward
on its stem.
The farmer who has good horse or two to
turn into money every year is generally one of
a class of men who are considered thrifty and
| frugal. There is more clear money in raising
| good horses, if il is done judiciously, than in
any other kind of live stock.
= Carrots must be kept crisp and fresh to be
at their best. Put layer of loan or sand in
the bottom Of box or barrel and upon this n
layer OF carrots then more sand and more car
rots until all are packed. Treated in this way
they will retain their freshness and crispness
until Spring.
The Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment
| Station tried the experiment with nine plain
bred pigs with little Berkshire blood in them,
and ascertained that TO produce pound OF
pork with meal alone costs 4.3 cents requiring
SIS pounds Of meal. The same amount of shorts,
costing 81 cents, produced the same increase
and 3.3 pounds Of the mixture produced the
same results.
To make profit in dairying try putting
two COWS in one skin; that is make the feed
! and e2eza bestowed on one cow produce as much
as you now get from two. IL one COW will pro-
duce 400 pounds of butter in year it will be
produced cheaper than if two cows are required
to do it in the same time-from eight cents %
ten cents pound cheaper-which will measure
the difference between profit and no profit
-Straight backs, broad loins and roundnesS
of body are valuable points for fattening sheep
- Irregularity in the amount of food given
the COW will cause her sometimes to gradually
dry up.
Rats and mice will not gnaw harness OIL
machine belts if they are rubbed lightly with
castor oil.
Give the pigs charcoal often it is easy t.
obtain and perfectly harmless, yet an excellent
corrective.
Way down in the potato region of Maine
they feed hogs on damaged starch with good
results
A good dairyman will never smoke tobacco
in his cOw-hOuse nor put his fingers in his Gus
toners milk.
A New England experimenter finds thai
FADING applpG IN p1iirI eovga has the al.